Sex Offender's Future Home In Merrick Burned Down

The future home of a sex offender in Merrick burned down early Tuesday, and the fire marshal is investigating whether the man was targeted because of that. The block around the home was covered in fliers indicating that a sex offender would be moving into the house.

Firefighters received the call for the fire at about 3:30 a.m. after a Nassau County PoliceoOfficer passing by the area saw the blaze. When they arrived, firefighters found the still-under-construction home fully engulfed in flames. Because the home wasn't complete, no one was inside. It took firefighters about three hours to put out the flames, and the entire house collapsed during that time. No one was hurt.

Because of the volume of flames, and the fact that the home was still under construction, the fire marshal deemed the fire suspicious, according to News 12. Newsday reported that the fire marshal is investigating whether the house was targeted because of the owner's status as a sex offender.

Photos: Kevin Madigan